Julio Le Parc: Form into Action

Julio Le Parc (b. 1928, Mendoza, Argentina) is a central and influential figure in participatory kinetic art, who has been largely overlooked in the United States, until now. Form into Action, which is the first solo museum exhibition and only comprehensive survey of the artist’s work in North America, will be presented across the Museum’s two spacious and adaptable special exhibition galleries and will feature more than 100 works produced by Le Parc between 1958 and 2013. The exhibition will explore how the artist sought to ‘demystify art’, breaking down barriers between artwork, viewer and museum.

Comprised of more than 100 works, including large-scale installations and rarely seen works on paper and archival material, the exhibition delves into the artist’s groundbreaking innovations in the fields of light, movement and perception, developed over the course of an almost sixty-year career. Form into Action examines the breadth of Le Parc's interests and methodologies, focusing primarily on his investigation into notions of spectator-ship and his continuous quest to engage and empower viewers. Works shown will come from numerous public institutions and private collections from Europe, Latin America and the United States. On view during Art Basel Miami Beach 2016, Form into Action will expose tens of thousands of local residents and visitors to Le Parc's work for the first time.

Organization and Support

"Julio Le Parc: Form into Action" is organized by Guest Curator Estrellita B. Brodsky. It is coordinated at PAMM by Chief Curator Tobias Ostrander with the support of Curatorial Assistant Jennifer Inacio. Yamil Le Parc serves as Artistic Advisor on the project. This exhibition is presented by Citi. Additional support has been provided by Hermès of Paris, Art & Art Collection, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Lead individual support received from Patrick and Jaleh Peyton and Patricia and William Kleh. Support for the catalogue from Galeria Nara Roesler and additional support from Faena Art, Cultural Services of the French Embassy, and from the J. W. Marriott Marquis Miami is also gratefully acknowledged.

Additional Resources

Article

Le Parc in Miami – New York Times

The Argentine artist Julio Le Parc has dedicated his 60-year career to participatory kinetic art as a way to encourage personal contact and promote social change. “He wants to clear away all the structures and systems which come between a work of art and the viewer,” said Estrellita B. Brodsky, a collector and curator, “so they result in a direct unmediated connection.”

Ms. Brodsky is the guest curator for a Le Parc show at the Pérez Art Museum Miami opening on Nov. 18, the artist’s first United States museum exhibition.

A Behind the Scenes Look at "Julio Le Parc: Form into Action"

ART REVIEW: Shock and Awe in Julio Le Parc’s Miami Retrospective

This is not painting, it's watchmaking."

"I come every day when I get off work. It's a great detox."

These two wildly divergent comments came from people who saw Julio Le Parc's acclaimed exhibit in Buenos Aires, which attracted nearly 160,000 visitors in 1967. His international career in Europe and Latin America was accelerating. A year earlier, he had won the Grand Prize for Painting at the 1966 Venice Biennale.